Gluten Intolerance
“He's gluten intolerant but he can eat rye bread.” What would you make of this statement? Would you understand what it means or would you be confused because you know rye contains gluten?
What about stretching your budget to provide gluten-free bread to a child that one given day walks in chomping a glossy croissant (you can tell it’s the “good stuff” and NOT gluten-free)? Dad wasn’t aware the boy is gluten intolerant! Or is he?
“To keep it gluten-free all I need to care about is bread and flour, right?” A childcare cook once asked.
“He’s coeliac so he can’t have anything with wheat or soy”. Hmmm… what?
*These are real-life interactions between families and early education professionals.
Gluten intolerance and ignorance is everywhere. I prefer to educate instead of judging because I know it is confusing even if you’re getting information from a reliable, evidence-based source. And, as we all know, there are many sources on the net that are not reliable, let alone evidence-based. It adds up to the confusion.
So, I’ll give you something to start with. Nothing too deep, but a start.
WHAT’S GLUTEN ANYWAY?
Gluten is a combination of two proteins found in wheat, but similar proteins found in barley, rye and oats are also referred to as gluten. That’s because they may cause similar symptoms in people who have impaired ability to digest gluten. Those who are clinically intolerant to gluten.
And gluten is also a marvel of culinary nature that becomes elastic when hydrated. This is what allows doughs to rise and then keep that rise after baking. Think of a tall loaf of bread and of a fluffy sponge cake.
AND WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH GLUTEN?
Some people – NOT EVERYONE – are born with a sensitivity to gluten. This sensitivity can present as an intolerance or as coeliac disease. Neither is an allergy nor causes anaphylaxis (breathing vessels blockage). The main difference is that coeliac disease is linked to the immune system even though it’s not an allergy.
They are both dose dependent, meaning that different people have different tolerance thresholds (amount they can tolerate of it). Coeliac people have the lowest tolerance and even traces of gluten can trigger symptoms.
Both conditions can result in malabsorption of nutrients because gluten causes irritation and inflammation of their gut lining which prevents it from absorbing nutrients from foods properly. So, it is important that a sensitive person stays as clear as possible of gluten to heal and prevent inflammation in their gut.
NOW, only people with gluten sensitivity should abstain from eating gluten-containing foods. The rest of us have absolutely no reason to avoid it.
I’ve heard people saying that “gluten is fattening” and that “gluten is toxic”! They obviously haven’t gotten information from evidence-based sources and are living by and spreading a damaging myth. Stay clear of them!
MY PROBLEM WITH GLUTEN-FREE
It frustrates me to the core when people scrape gluten-containing foods from a child’s diet without evidence that it is necessary, such as a medical statement, for example. Although it may look like the child’s health is being cared for, it actually is caring for the adults’ convenience.
Taking away gluten-containing foods from a child’s diet is quite tricky because children usually are very fond of breads, biscuits, breakfast cereals and pasta. So, finding nutritious replacements that the child enjoys is not always straightforward. And those types of food may make up a large proportion of that child’s diet. So, it’s very relevant.
You just heard me saying that gluten is a mix of two proteins and, as such, it is nutritious. The foods that carry gluten have also other nutrients that contribute to a child’s health like carbohydrates, fibre, minerals and vitamins. Not all gluten-free versions are as nutritious and most are classified as ultra-processed foods or as discretionary. So, much consideration has to go into replacing gluten-containing foods in a child’s diet.
I always advise families and other carers like early childhood educators and cooks to make sure they request clinical evidence that the child must abstain from gluten-containing foods and as much detail as possible about what is tolerated and what is not. This can assist with making sure that child will have a diet as nutritious as it can be.
Eat Play Learn Nutrition offers workshops for ECEC professionals to help them keep nutrition while catering for food allergies and intolerances. Check it out, click here.
references
McGee on Food & Cooking: An Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture (Book, 2004, UK)
Are gluten-free foods healthier than non-gluten-free foods? An evaluation of supermarket products in Australia (Study, 2015, Australia)
What is Gluten? by Dr. Jessica Biesiekierski (2017, Belgium)
Best Practice Guidelines for Prevention of Anaphylaxis in Schools and CEC Services (ASCIA) (2022)
